Game apparatus



(No Model.)

' A. HESS.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 575,950. Patented Jan. 26, 1897.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HESS, or MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,950, dated January .26, 1897.

Application filed November 20, 1895. Serial No. 569,497. (No model.)

ence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved game apparatus; and it consists in an apparatus of peculiar construction,

which is hereinafter described, and the novel features of which are particularly pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

Reference is made in the following description to the accompanying drawings, i which-- Figure 1 is a perspective of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view of a cue, and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

At 1 is shown a board or table which preferably is covered with billiard-cloth or the like and which is provided with raised sides 2 and ends 3 and 4. At the top of the side and end pieces I provide, preferably, an inwardly-projecting beading 21, which serves as a finish for the top and also to prevent the balls from being knocked off theboard. I do not, however, regard this beading as in any way essential to the apparatus.

In playing the game balls 5 are employed, which are struck by a one 6. A spot or object ball is shown at 7, Fig. 1,which is placed upon a spot toward one end of the table in the position shown in the said figure. The halls are played from behind a line 8,which crosses the board at the opposite end thereof from that at which the spot-ball 7 is located. A low partition 9 extends across the end of the board from which the balls are played and 7 serves to inclose or partition off a portion of the board in which the balls may be placed when not in use. On the end 3 is formed a without essentially varying the character of the apparatus.

At the end 4. of the board, and midwidth thereof, I provide an inclined surface 11 of the shape shown, up which a ball may pass onto a flat shelf 12,having a curved upwardlyprojecting backing 13. On the said shelf 12 I form a shallow depression 14, in which a ball which is not moving rapidly may lodge and out of which a ball may be readily knocked by being struck by another ball. The placing of a ball in this depression is given a certain value in one of the games which may be played by the use of this apparatus. Along the sides 2 and the end 4 on each side of the centrally-placed incline 11 I secure a strip of rubber or similar elastic material 15, from which the balls will rebound in a manner similar to that in which a billiard-ball will rebound from the sides of a billiard-table. I prefer to use a strip of rubber and to insert one edge thereof into a groove in the said sides and end, as shown in Fig. 3. The rubber or like material, however, may be secured in place in any wellknown manner. The elastic strip 15 should be placed at a height from the board or table equal to or slightly greater than half the diameter of'the balls 5 which are used, in order that the said balls will contact with the strip in such a way as to rebound freely therefrom. The Spot or object ball 7 preferably is slightly less in diameter than the balls these being formed preferably of rubber,

which serves to prevent the marrin g of a table or the like upon which the board may be placed when in use.

What I claim is- 1. A game apparatus comprising a board having sides each provided with an elastic strip or cushion, an end having centrally thereof an inclined Way, and also provided with an elastic strip or cushion extending at each side of said inclined Way, a level portion at the upper end of the incline having a single depression therein, and a curved upwardly-projecting wall inclosing said upper level except at the entrance side,substantially as set forth. 4

2. A game apparatus comprising a board provided with side portions each having an elastic strip or cushion, an end portion having" centrally thereof an inclined Way, a level portion at the upper endof the incline hav- 

